Story and Poem of the Month

Lots of lovely things on ABCTales this month – many thanks to everyone for providing such absorbing, touching, funny and just plain brilliant stuff.

Firstly, a shout out to a few of the brilliant series that are on the site at the moment.  I have picked out the latest episodes, but please do go back and read from the start - you won’t regret it.  Mitzi44’s account of her childhood as a not quite foreigner in a not quite foreign land is a joy (Evil in my Midst | ABCtales), Hudsonmoon’s ‘Craven Gets Flashed’ episodes are always a particular pleasure (Craven Gets Flashed XI | ABCtales) and I have also greatly enjoyed jxmartin’s ‘Corona Log’, a wonderful voice of calm and compassion in these turbulent times (Corona Log- Wed. February 24, 2021 | ABCtales). 

Story of the Month is Sean McNulty’s ‘There You Are’ (There You Are | ABCtales).  It’s funny, beautifully constructed, acutely observed, and takes a wry swipe at modern times.  It’s part of Sean’s ‘House of Elder’ series, all of which is rewarding reading, but it also works brilliantly as a stand-alone piece.  Honourable mentions go to skinner_jennifer’s ‘Timely Leisure Spent With You’ (Timely Leisure Spent With You | ABCtales), with its magical imagery, and to Rosa Cruz’s ‘Windows’ (Windows | ABCtales), which finds a new way to tell a sadly familiar story.  

Poem of the Month is onemorething’s ‘The Opposite of Love’ (The Opposite of Love | ABCtales).  The imagery is striking and initially unexpected and then, as so often in onemorething’s work, seems like the most beautifully appropriate portrait you could imagine.  Honourable mentions go to Jane Hyphen’s ‘After The Blizzard’ (After the Blizzard | ABCtales), with its unsettling hints of what hides beneath the snow, and to Di­_Hard’s ‘Getting Ready’ (Getting Ready | ABCtales) which provides such a strong message of hope I wanted to punch the air at the end.

Here’s to a safe and equally productive March!